Facilities

At West Suffolk Crematorium and Cemetery we have 2 comfortable and welcoming chapels, both furnished in oak.

The original chapel, which opened in 1989, is furnished in oak, with pews and carved doors and fittings throughout. It is a more traditional chapel, with a warm and welcoming atmosphere throughout. We can seat 95 people and have standing room for another 30 to 40 people. We have named this chapel the St Edmund's Chapel.

We offer a range of services throughout the week to provide more choice to the families we serve. For service information, visit this page.

We also have a large screen in the Waiting Room where the funeral is relayed to those mourners who could not fit into the chapel.

The new chapel, which opened in March 2018, is a more modern chapel, with a light and airy feel. We have provided seats instead of pews in this chapel and can seat 60 people, with standing room for around 20 to 30 guests. This chapel is named the Abbey Chapel.

Both chapels have an organ in the chapel, and our organist is available on every funeral. He would usually play the hymns, however if you prefer a choral backing for your hymns then this can be played on our Obitus music system. This is a modern digital music system that can provide almost any music choice that is requested. Your funeral director creates your playlist for you directly onto the Obitus website and you have the ability to sit with your funeral director to listen to the different music choices to ensure you choose the correct pieces of music.

The chapel can be adapted to provide a fitting environment for any choice of funeral, regardless of faith or religion. We can also offer a recording of the funeral on audio CD or DVD, and we can now offer webcasting so that other family and friends, who are unable to attend the funeral, can watch the service live from any location. Please speak to your funeral director for more details about these services. For more info see “Personalising Your Funeral”.

We have several car parks throughout the crematorium - the main car park is usually used for St Edmund's Chapel, and Abbey Chapel has its own car park. These are both signposted clearly so just follow the signs. Both chapels have disabled parking close to the chapel. We have a comfortable waiting room for each chapel and toilets are provided nearby. Wheel chair access is provided throughout, and there are disabled toilets for both chapels. We also offer baby changing facilities.

Hospitality and Meadow Cafe. (See separate tabs above)

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West Suffolk Cemetery

At West Suffolk Cemetery we offer a Traditional Cemetery, where burials take place and granite memorials are dedicated, as well as the Woodland Cemetery, where the only memorials are Oak Memorials. As our Company has its own stonemasons, all memorials are ordered direct from us and we have a large range of colours and styles to suit all tastes. All Oak memorials are ordered through us. This policy ensures that our memorials are of the highest standard.

The Traditional Cemetery offers lawn-style burials, where a granite memorial is added at the head of the grave and the rest of the area is lawn, as well as traditional burials, where a large kerb-set memorial can be added after the grave has settled. This cemetery is kept to a very high standard and our groundsmen cut and strim the lawns weekly.

The Woodland Cemetery is a more natural setting, where grass isn’t cut so short and we allow wildflowers to flourish and we encourage insects and wildlife. No granite memorials are permitted in this area, nor are any personal items allowed on the graves. Our policy is to create a very natural area.

See below for our Rules and Regulations.

1. Cemetery & Crematorium Rules & Regulations

SECTION A - GENERAL INFORMATION

1. The following regulations have been designed and formulated for the control and use of West Suffolk Crematorium and Cemetery.

2. All correspondence should be addressed to:
West Suffolk Crematorium
Nr. Risby,
Bury St. Edmunds,
Suffolk, IP28 6RR
Telephone: 01284 755118
Fax: 01284 55135
Email: WestSuffolk@westerleighgroup.co.uk

3. Crematorium and cemetery opening times:
Grounds - Weekdays 8.00 am to 5.30 pm
Grounds - Weekends and Bank Holidays 9.00am to 5.30 pm
Office - Weekdays 9.00 am to 5.30 pm

4. Children Those below 15 years of age, will not be permitted to enter the cemetery unless accompanied by a responsible adult.

5. Dogs Shall not be permitted in the grounds unless on a lead

6. Vehicles. Cars are allowed in the cemetery but drivers shall not exceed the speed limit of 5 mph. Cars must only be driven on the main carriageways. On no account may cars be driven on footpaths, grass areas or planted areas. All vehicles must be parked neatly to allow access to other vehicles.

7. The Cemetery company shall not be held responsible for the safe keeping of any wreaths, flowers, plants or any other objects placed in the cemetery nor any damage caused to memorials, monuments and mausoleums by high winds or storms, or other factors outside their control. An incident book is kept at the office for recording thefts of any type and the police will be informed of more serious crimes and if a high incidence of thefts occurs.

8. All persons shall conduct themselves in a decent, quiet and orderly manner. The General Manager is empowered to take such action as he/she may consider appropriate against any person who may:
- Commit any nuisance in the cemetery.
- Wilfully create any disturbance in the cemetery
- Wilfully interfere with any burial taking place
- Wilfully interfere with any grave or memorial or any plants, flowers or other such objects in the cemetery.
- Play at any game or sport in the cemetery.

9. Visitors to the cemetery shall not unreasonably interrupt any employee at their duties or employ them to execute private works within the Cemetery or extend to them any gratuity. All enquiries, complaints and requests by members of the public must be made to the cemetery office and not to workmen in the Cemetery.

10. No person not being an officer or servant of the Cemetery or another person so authorised by or on behalf of the Cemetery Company shall enter or remain in the cemetery at an hour when it is closed to the public.

11. The taking of commercial photographs and filming is not permitted in the cemetery except with the prior approval and permission of the manager in writing and upon payment of the appropriate fee. Photographs of individual graves by approval with the grave owner are allowed.

12. No person shall operate any sound equipment or play any musical instrument in the cemetery without the prior consent of the manager. This should not discourage people from singing at the graveside or playing a favourite song quietly with the acknowledgement of the manager.

13. The Cemetery Company reserves the right to close the cemetery and crematorium grounds on any day should it be considered that circumstances so warrant.

14. The sale of goods, services, plants or other articles, the soliciting of orders or repair of memorials or for work connected with graves is strictly prohibited within the grounds of the cemetery. All such services and requests should be met by the cemetery office.

15. No employee of the Cemetery Company are allowed to undertake privately, any work or favour of any kind nor receive any gratuity for the said work of favour.

16. The placing of stone paving slabs, timber, etc around and leading to a grave space is strictly prohibited and shall be removed without prior notice on the grounds of health and safety and to satisfy the insurance underwriter of the company.

17. Any plants, vases or any other item placed outside the grave space shall be removed without prior notice.

18. The planting and maintenance of the grave is the responsibility of the grave owner and the company does not undertake any work other than moulding, turfing or seeding unless a separate agreement has been made with the cemetery company and the appropriate fee paid.

19. All persons entering into the cemetery grounds shall conform to all respects with the cemetery regulations and shall be subject to the orders of the manager and staff who have full power to exclude from the cemetery any member of the public whom may be deemed fit to exclude. Should it be necessary to use physical force to remove a subject the Police shall be summoned.

20. These rules and regulations shall be final.

21. The cemetery company reserves the right to make any alterations and additions to the rules and regulations of the cemetery at any time it feels fit.

22. Rubbish must be placed in the receptacles provided for this purpose. No household rubbish must be left in the cemetery or dumped.

23. The cemetery fees are displayed in the cemetery office and are revised from January 1st Services after this date will be charged the revised rate.

SECTION B - REGULATIONS RELATING TO INTERMENTS

1. Prior telephone booking is required for every interment, which must be confirmed in writing on the prescribed form/notice at least 48 hours before the appointed time of the interment. Saturday, Sunday and public holiday burials can take place by special arrangement and the payment of the appropriate fee at that time. This notice period may be reduced on the manager’s discretion.

2. The application for interment must contain full details of the deceased, the proposed interment, the grave to be used and the signature of the owner of the exclusive right of burial, if applicable, and be accompanied by the appropriate fee for interment.

3. The hours prescribed for interments are from 10.00 a.m to 3.00 p.m. Interments may take place outside these hours at the discretion of the General Manager.

4. No grave or other place of burial in which the Exclusive Right of Burial has been granted shall be opened for interment without the written consent of the registered owner of the rights of burial. The registered owner is that person whose name appears in the register of graves held at the cemetery office. Should this person be deceased, the next of kin, personal representative or executor must complete a statutory declaration. This must be delivered along with the interment notice not less than 48 hours before the burial is due to take place. Failure to provide all documentation may cause for the interment to be postponed until such time that the relevant documents can be produced.

5. The Registrar’s Certificate of disposal or the Coroners Order for burial must be delivered to the Superintendent before the burial can legally take place. Failure to deliver this certificate will result in postponement of the funeral until such time the certificate can be produced. (Section 1, Births and Deaths Registration Act 1926 and amendment)

6. In the case of a non-viable foetus a notice of interment and the Medical Practioner’s or Midwife’s certificate of delivery will be required.

7. All Fees relating to interments should be made payable to “West Suffolk Crematorium”. Payment must be delivered before the burial takes place unless an account in the name of the Funeral Director has been agreed by the Cemetery Office.

8. The net outside dimensions of the coffin must be entered accurately on the interment notice or given to the Cemetery office in writing atleast 48 hours before the intended burial. The cemetery will not be held responsible or liable for any delay or accident which may occur as a result of such dimensions being omitted from or entered incorrectly on the notice of interment.

9. Any form of religious service may be used but any other ceremony is subject to the approval of the General Manager. Alternatively, the coffin may be committed without a service.

10. The General Manager is authorised to refuse entry into the cemetery chapel any coffin, which in their opinion may be a hazard to public health. (Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984).

11. The Funeral Director, or persons effecting the burial must provide sufficient staff to convey the coffin into the chapel and for the lowering of the coffin into the grave, unless prior warning has been given to the office and the appropriate fee paid.

12. Every body brought into the cemetery for interment shall be contained in a suitable coffin or shroud. No coffin or shroud shall be accepted unless it bears adequate particulars of the identity of the deceased person therein.

13. The Cemetery will not be held responsible for any error or consequences which may arise by reason of any inaccuracy in or late receipt of a notice of interment and will accept orders and instructions by telephone only at the risk of the sender.

14. All graves without exception will be dug by persons employed or contracted by the Cemetery.

15. All telephone or faxed orders must be confirmed in writing immediately

16. All requests for witnessed backfills must be made at the time of booking the burial or atleast 48 hours before the interment is to take place. It can not always be guaranteed that the backfill will be witnessed due to adverse weather conditions or in areas where a breach of Health and Safety law make occur if a backfill was to take place.

17. Areas of particular environmental value will be developed as suitable burial ground. This includes existing woodland areas in the cemetery as well as creating new specific woodland burial plots in the future.

Exhumations

1. No human remains will be removed from any grave after committal without the proper authority from the Home Office and /or the Ecclesiastical Court.

2. In the first instance a request for exhumation should be made to the manager of the Cemetery before any application for licence or faculty is made.

3. The Exhumation will be carried out in strict accordance with Statutory provisions and any conditions imposed by the Secretary of State for the Home Office or the Ecclesiastical Court and any restrictions added by the Local Area Health Officer. Nothing in these regulations should be construed as authorising the disturbance of Human Remains without the appropriate authority. Human Remains within these regulations is deemed to include cremated remains.

Cremated Remains

1. The interment of cremated remains will only be permitted (and recorded in the cremation registers) when carried out in the presence of the manager or their authorised staff and only after the necessary documentation has been completed. The scattering of cremated remains is only allowed in the nominated woodland area, or memorial lawn by prior agreement, within the grounds and the above procedure needs to be adhered to also.

2. The certificate for Disposal of Cremated Remains issued by the Crematorium where the cremation took place must be delivered to the office before the interment can take place. Failure to deliver such Certificate will result in postponement of the interment until such time as the certificate can be produced

3. Regulation B, 3 of these regulations includes cremated remains.

SECTION C - THE PURCHASE OF NEW GRAVES

1. The Exclusive Right of Burial in a private grave is 50 years from the date of purchase.. Grantees (grave owners) should inform the cemetery office immediately of a change of address.

2. The Exclusive Right of Burial entitles the deed holder to determine who is buried in the grave and whether a memorial can be erected on the grave (subject to the permission of the Manager).

3. New graves will be available for selection subject to the approval of the Manager and payment of the appropriate fee.

4. Plans showing the grave spaces are kept by the Cemetery office and may be viewed during normal office hours.

5. A private grave can be reserved on payment of the appropriate fee. This fee will not include the interment costs which will be charged at the time of burial.

6. Any transfer of ownership of exclusive right of burial will be subject to the production of satisfactory evidence of title and the approval of the Manager. Such transfer must be registered in the records of the Cemetery and the deed of right of burial must be produced for endorsement by the General Manager and the appropriate transfer fee paid.

7. A memorial may be erected on the reserved grave before any interments have taken place, however a removal and replacement cost will be levied at the time of burial.

8. Exclusive Rights of Burial will not be granted to a Funeral Director or Monumental Mason or any employee, Director or partner in such a firm unless satisfactory evidence is provided to the Manager that the grave is required for the individual use only and not for the purposes of business.

9. The Cemetery Company reserves the right of access over all grave spaces and the right to temporarily remove without notice any memorial, potted plants or frame from any grave to facilitate the digging of another grave for the purposes of interment or exhumations.

10. The size of graves is as follows:
Standard grave: 76cm x 1.98m
Cremation grave (mini grave): 61cm x 61cm

11. No planting of flowers, erection of frames or other markers is permitted outside these maximum dimensions. The Cemetery Company reserves the right to remove any items placed outside the dimensions of the grave space without notice.

SECTION D - REGULATIONS CONCERNING CREMATIONS

1. A cremation can only legally take place when the Crematorium has the Registrars Certificate for Disposal or a Coroners Order for Cremation, Forms A, B and C and the Medical Referee has signed Form F to allow the cremation to take place. Without these forms in no circumstances will a cremation be carried out. (Cremation Regulations 1930 Regulations 6,7,8)

2. The above forms must be received by the Crematorium Office atleast 48 hours prior to the service taking place. Failure to provide these forms will cause the cremation to be postponed until such time that these can be produced.

3. The forms will be submitted on those provided by the crematorium and the appropriate fee paid before the cremation takes place, unless an account arrangement has been made with the General manager.

4. The maximum dimensions of a coffin to be loaded into the cremator is 31” wide (including handles) by 24” deep and 84” long.

5. The number of mourners permitted to enter the crematory for a witnessed cremation is six persons. This can only take place with the prior consent of the Superintendent and at his or her discretion.

6. The Funeral Director, or persons effecting the burial must provide sufficient staff to convey the coffin into the chapel, unless prior warning has been given to the office and the appropriate fee paid.

7. Every body brought to the crematorium must be contained in a suitable coffin or shroud. No coffin or shroud should be accepted unless it bears adequate particulars of the identity of the deceased therein.

8. The Crematorium will not be held responsible for any error or consequences which may arise by reason of any inaccuracy in or late receipt of a notice of interment and will accept orders and instructions by telephone only at the risk of the sender.

9. The crematorium will store the resulting cremated remains for a period of 3 months before they are scattered in the woodland, unless instructions to the contrary are given at the time of applying for the cremation.

10. If no instructions are given regarding the use of floral tributes, they will remain in the floral tribute area at the side of the chapel for 3 days, including the day of the funeral. After this period the flowers will then be disposed of.

11. Any music requirements must be communicated to the crematorium office atleast 24 hours before the service is due to take place. If pre-recorded music is to be played, each piece of music must be clearly marked and in the case of tapes, each piece of music on different tapes. The crematorium excepts no responsibility for poor quality recordings or damage to worn out tapes or mistakes due to the inadequate labelling of pieces of music.

12. The cremation of body parts is permitted on the completion of the appropriate forms and the payment of the appropriate fee.

13. The cremation of a non-viable foetus is permitted with the production of the Medical Practioner’s or Midwife’s certificate of delivery.

SECTION E - REGULATIONS RELATING TO MEMORIALS

1. All memorials must be supplied and fixed by the cemetery company. No external stone masons will be permitted to carry out work in the cemetery.

2. No memorial may be fixed in the cemetery without the approval of the Manager. Unauthorised memorials will be removed out of the cemetery at the grave owners expense. All suitable styles and materials will be provided for your choice.

3. Memorials will only be erected over graves in which the Exclusive Right of Burial has been purchased.

4. Inscriptions can contain relaxed expressions such as “Mum” and “Dad”, nicknames etc. The only regulation to this policy is that no inscription should contain words or sentiments which may be offensive to another visitor in the opinion of the General Manager.

5. Should the registered owner of the Exclusive Right of Burial be deceased, a transfer of ownership must be arranged before any approval for works to any memorial can be given.

6. All memorials erected are maintained at the expense of the owner of the Exclusive Right of Burial of that particular grave. Where memorials split, crack or become dangerous, the grave owner shall be required to have that memorial repaired, refixed or relevelled so that it shall be safe at all times.

7. The Cemetery reserves the right without notice to:
a) Remove or make safe any memorial which in their opinion is a danger or could become a danger to any person in the cemetery or crematorium grounds.
b) To remove temporarily any memorial or part of the memorial if such a course of action appears to the General Manager to be desirable.
c) To recover all reasonable costs in making any memorial safe from the grantee or their representative

8. No memorial should be erected until atleast 12 months after an interment has taken place, unless that interment took place in a vault space or mini grave. The Cemetery will not be responsible for levelling memorials where the grantee has decided to erect a memorial before 12 months.

9. During the first 12 months after the interment the grave will be mounded and topped up regularly to deal with the settlement of the backfill. Potted plants and cut flowers only should be placed on the grave during the first 12 months so that they can be removed temporarily to allow additional earth to be placed upon the grave space.

10. Every memorial design or idea for commemoration will be considered by the company and that choice will be provided if it is reasonable for the company to do so. This will not include though materials which cause particular environmental harm such as the use of teak and other rainforest timbers for garden benches.

Date of Operation:

These regulations shall come into force on 1 February 2005.